Councillor McCann Meeting Report (June 16, 2026)

Honouring Bob & Drene Corrigan
On Saturday morning, June 6, 2026 I had the pleasure of being in attendance on the Town Dock, alongside the Pearl Mist where Robert 'Bob' and Drene Corrigan were honoured for their 30 years of service on the waterfront. Mayor McGarvey addressed those in attendance.  In his speech he described the kind of work and service Bob and Drene rendered.  They advocated for the best interest of the Town Dock and waterfront at large and described the demonstrated pride in their ongoing pride of the waterfront.  (See speech below) Various organizations were represented including the Parry Sound Area Chamber of Commerce, the Downtown Business Association (DBA), the Waterfront Advisory Committee, the Parry Sound Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary and the Pearl Mist.  A letter and certificate were presented from the Town of Parry Sound as well as a custom plaque.

     Speech Honouring Bob & Drene Corrigan, Saturday, June 6, 2026  -  10:00 am, Parry Sound Town Dock
The Corrigan family is well rooted here in Parry Sound. In fact, they have been blessed to have owned land stretching from Bob and Drene’s home, just across the street here, over to the Fitness Trail. Bob and Drene are no strangers to our waterfront.

Long before becoming involved with the waterfront Bob worked for Chrysler, holding an executive position in Windsor for many years.  One is never surprised to find Bob, and often Drene, down on the dock or boat, sitting, visiting, entertaining, but more likely working, on the Cambrian Boat or working security when the cruise ships are in.

Bob purchased the Cambrian some 17 years ago from Jack Kennedy. The Cambrian started out as a fishing tug in Thunder Bay. Converted to a pleasure tug, the rugged steel boat is still used as an Auxiliary Coast Guard search and rescue boat. The pride that Bob has in the Cambrian is most obvious. Over the years he has involved the Cambrian not only with search and rescue, often participating in rescue exercises, but also aiding organizations in their fundraising by ferrying people around the bay heading for dinners or simply sightseeing.  However, his cooperation and participation in such events does not end there. His pride and love of our waterfront is unparallelled and it’s that pride that defines his desire to keep the waterfront well maintained and with ongoing improvements, thereby keeping the dock’s availability economical for all including boaters, residents and visitors. His own vision has been ensuring that the Town Dock, indeed the waterfront, should always remain accessible for the use and pleasure of all individuals. Bob’s input as a member of the Waterfront Advisory Committee is commendable. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in this field.

In another capacity, Bob and Drene have worked extensively advocating for the cruise ship industry to frequent our waterfront. They have provided security services when a cruise ship has landed. He has worked directly with the captains and crews building a great rapport. The Corrigan’s are a big reason that the cruise ships look forward to visiting Parry Sound.

Today the Town of Parry Sound and its residents acknowledge appreciation and gratitude for their dedication and we extend a huge, sincere thank you for their community service. Congratulations on your retirement!


Parry Sound Public Library Monthly Board Meeting
On Wednesday morning, June 10, 2026, I attended the Parry Sound Public Library Monthly Board Meeting.  The focus of the meeting was to review the Draft 2025 Financial Statements with a BDO representative on line.  Some housekeeping matters including the approval of the Treasurer’s Report for the month of April,
2026.  As always be sure to check the library's website for full information on the variety of ongoing and upcoming programs.  Go to https://www.parrysoundlibrary.com/. 


In Memory of Andrew Ryeland
Our sincere condolences are extended to the family of Andrew Ryeland who passed away on Saturday, June 6, 2026.  His passing at the age of 73 came as a shock to our community.  He will be remembered for his dedication to the community.  This included six years as Chair of the Parry Sound Chamber of Commerce.  He served in various volunteer roles.  With unwavering passion, Andrew worked tirelessly to promote tourism. He founded the very successful Bear Claw ATV Tours.  A man of great faith, the family is asking for donations in his name to Camp Koinonia.  Visit https://campkoinonia.ca/donate/.  In our thoughts and prayers, we extend our sincere sympathies to his immediate and extended family.  Andrew's full obituary can be accessed here at https://memorials.torrancefuneralhome.com/andrew-ryeland/5719612/




Condolences to the Family of Pearl Yauk
I would also wish to extend sincere condolences to the family of Pearl Yauk.  She passed away on Saturday, June 13th, 2026 with her daughters by her side at Lakeland Long Term Care following a lengthy illness.  You'll recall her husband Len Yauk died in August of last year.  The Yauk's came to Parry Sound in 1982 from Sudbury and like Len, Pearl quickly became deeply involved and committed to our community in various capacities.  Year after year, Pearl had served on many boards and/or was active with their respective organizations.  These included Community Living, Social Services, ALS, and Child and Family Centre.  For many people in our community, their quality of life improved thanks to Pearl's long-term commitment and contributions to the Arthritis Society and Addiction Outreach.  She has also been involved with several special events with the West Parry Sound Health Centre Foundation including seven years on the core committee of the Dragon Boat Festival.  You may not know that Pearl taught reading to several individuals incarcerated at our former Parry Sound Jail. Back in November of 2014 Rotary International and the Rotary Club of Parry Sound honoured Len and Pearl as two outstanding members of our community presenting each with the Paul Harris Fellow Recognition Award. Like Len, Pearl will be deeply missed.  Pearl's obituary can be found here at https://logansfuneralhome.com/death-notice/pearl-yauk/.  A funeral Mass will be held at St. Peter the Apostle Church, Parry Sound, on Friday, July 3, 2026 at 10:00 a.m.  A reception will follow in the Knights of Columbus hall behind the church.